I’m an old DIY guy. Over the years I’ve collected many hundreds of tools, mostly because I needed a particular tool for a specific task.
I understand that not everybody wants to do it themselves, sooner or later though, something will come up and you will inevitably you need a tool. When that happens, and it will happen, these are those tools.
Most people will probably only ever really need a few tools to take care of most of the common things that come up
The Absolute Minimum –
If you have nothing else but these, as long as it’s super basic, you’ll probably be able to figure something out with just these.
A Smartphone – Something that you likely take with you everywhere already is your smartphone. Most smartphones have a flashlight and some tool apps (for measuring and leveling and more) and have become indispensable. Of course sometimes the best use for a smartphone may be to call for help.
An all-in-one multitool – These are great for a lot of reasons. Although never the best tool for the job, and won’t ever be as a good as a tool designed for the specific task at hand, they work good enough and are a Godsend if it’s the only tool available. They are also extremely portable, and can be taken just about anywhere, making it perfect for your backpack, purse, or the console of your car. They come in a variety of sizes, with varied and often customizable tools, sometimes aimed toward a specific type of user (e.g., hiker, rescue worker, fisherman, et al).
I recommend buying only quality name brand tools, but that’s especially true for multitools. They rely on strong connections and high-quality steel to maintain reliability. Cheaper versions often don’t, increasing the chances for failure or injury. These ubiquitous “all-in-one” tools are offered in many brands. Leatherman, Geber, and Swiss Army Knife may be best known. Look for one that has the tools you may want or need. More importantly look for those that have tools which are actually useable and effective.
Something to note. A quality multi-tool is not going to be cheap. If you’re thinking that you can save money by buying this one tool, you could probably buy all of the other tools on this list (with the exception of the flash light and cordless drill/screwdriver) for about the same price as a good multi-tool.
A HammerIf you have many tools, then getting tools for specific tasks is best. But to make do with a limited number of tools, you should choose the tool that lends itself to multiple applications.
For example: a hammer. Go to your favorite big box hardware store and you’ll see 30 different hammers. Big, heavy, small, different shapes, different handles, different textures on the striking surface. All will hammer, but they also do some hammering jobs better than a different style hammer.
A 16 ounce framing claw hammer with a smooth face (striking surface) is more versatile than a ball peen or sledge, or even larger framing hammer with a milled face. Get one with the claw sightly curved (mostly straight back rather than sharply curved).
A construction worker framing houses and using a hammer solely for that purpose will choose a heavy hammer (20 ounce or more) with a milled face to control slippage of the nail head and to drive it with a minimum of strikes. The straight back (or only slightly curved) claw is better and quicker for prying boards apart or using the claw like a narrow axe to split or chunk off little pieces of wood.
But if you used that mill-faced hammer for driving a small nail flush into some work, you would damage the surface. A smooth face hammer would be better.
The sharply curved back claw can pull nails easier and get into smaller spaces. Even so, a nearly-straight back claw can pull nails too, and if needed a small block of wood or a screwdriver handle can be used as a spacer/fulcrum. In a pinch, a framer’s hammer can also split wood more easily and safer than a curved claw. And a straight back claw is better for prying. A 16-20 ounce weight (depending on strength of user) is a good weight for hammering nails or sledging objects with control.
The Essentials –
This includes those items in the bare minimum and really, this the minimum and what everybody should have in household toolbox or drawer.
A flashlight – Any light (smartphone) is better than none, but I suggest a minimum of amount of light is 300 lumens, really these days its easy to find a good light with a 1000 lumens or better for not too much money.
Ideally you should have a few of these. One by the bed. One in your car, and one in your backpack, purse, or in your pocket if its small enough. I could write an entire article about the importance and many uses of a flashlight.
It should have a rear button offering a momentary and locked-on feature, and preferably is one that doesn’t require special batteries (translate: less available, more expensive). It should also have a front bezel that is not smooth and flat all around. That way if left on its end, you’ll be able to see whether it’s on or off (so batteries aren’t depleted without your knowledge).
For the one you keep in the car, consider a model with a long-time battery capacity in case your stranded for an extended time at night. An additional plus would be a red-light option (steady and blinking) to mark your presence on the side of a dark road.
A knife – It’s a bit of a tossup between a hammer and a knife when it comes to which is the most basic, fundamental, and useful tool known to humanity, but a good knife is a must have.
I’m not necessary talking about a pocket knife, or military style survival knife, either although those are also very useful, a good utility knife with its ubiquitous and easily replaceable trapezoid “razor” blade has many advantages.
It’s inexpensive, available almost everywhere, and is easy to use. As long as you have fresh blades which are also cheap and available just about everywhere, a sharp edge is assured. Many utility knives offer convenient storage within the handle for new blades. While a utility knife is not good for deeper cuts, it will do for cutting just about anything else and therefore makes the list of tools you should have.
It should fit comfortably in your hand providing a good grip in more than one holding position for different tasks. I recommend a lock-back[1] folding type, which offers the rigidity of a fixed blade, with the convenience and smaller storage of the folding knife[2]. Most lock-back knives can easily be opened with one hand, which is also important.
Pliers – Two pair of slip-joint pliers;[3] one small, one large. Check that the slip joint works easily but is not sloppy and loose fitting to where jaws of the pliers don’t always line up with each other. Wrenches (particularly adjustable crescent wrenches) are great, but pliers are more versatile.
A Multi-bit Screwdriver– You are going to need screwdriver. Screws come in all shapes and sizes are used just about everywhere and in everything. Here the one-size-fits-all option is the way to go. Having a good multi-bit, adjustable screwdriver means that you only need one as opposed to an entire set.
A Measuring Tape – While safety is always first when it comes to tools, the second rule is measure twice, cut once. From hanging a picture, to checking to see if your new furniture will fit through the door, to seeing if you will fit in your new pants, a measuring tape is that tools you will find you use more than you ever imagined.
There are all kinds of measuring tapes, the two most useful in and around the house will be the cased tape, and the sewing or tailors measuring tape.
The Basic Starter Toolbox –
Again this includes everything from the first two levels, but adds a few more items that make a whole level of difference in terms of comfort, ease, and practicality when it comes to getting basic stuff done.
Saw – For the kind of task the tools on this list are meant for a metal hack saw, and/or a good jab saw (great for wood or drywall) should be more than enough to handle the kinds of things you would need to cut with a saw around the house. If you need something “more” than you’ve leveled up, and that’s a different conversation and different list.
Combination Power Drill/Impact Driver – This is the first power tool (and often the last) most people buy. This is because driving screws into walls, and the need to drill a pilot hole in that wall first, is probably one of the single most common tasks that people will do. And trying to do it by hand just plain sucks. At some point you will be trying to screw something a wall or stud by hand with a regular screwdriver and it will break, strip, or get stuck and you instantly decide its time for an upgrade.
Generally speaking these are not that expensive and if you get a good one the time, frustration, and small injuries saved will more than justify the purchase of this. Corded models tend be a little more powerful and cordless models a little more expensive, but you don’t need that extra power for anything within the scope of this list and cordless models are so incredibly more convenient.
Wrenches –Pliers are all good and fine and will get the job of a wrench done plus a bunch of other stuff as well, but when you need a wrench, its better to use a wrench than pliers. Here the again the one size fits all approach is the better one.
Crescent wrenches (a.k.a. adjustable wrenches); one medium sized and one a little larger. Wrenches should be made of forged steel (rather than stamped or other metals). Check that the adjusting screw moves easily but maintains flat, aligned surfaces without too much movement (aka., “play”).
Socket or ratchet wrenches are another option. These just make life better by making it easier. These wrenches come with a set of heads that fit different size fasteners. They can be used as screwdrivers,
Needle Nose Pliers –Needle nose pliers are one of those items that you just end up always needing. Why not have them. Also most needle nose pliers have wire cutters built into the jaws so there is that. Wire cutters are great for wire (obviously), cable ties, small chain, and even small rope that has a wire core.
Tape – People regularly sing the praises of duct tape, and it is admittedly cool, but also not always the easiest stuff to work with or the right tool for the job. The tape I find myself using the most and frequently is masking tape.
[1] Lock-back knives are carried folded until needed for use and then will safely lock the blade extended to act as a fixed blade. After use, the blade is released to fold back into the handle for compact convenience, which also protects the blade.
[2] Folding knives without a blade-locking feature are less desirable due to the slight danger of the knife folding while in use.
[3] Slip-Joint pliers enable two jaw opening widths depending on how the handles are positioned where they intersect.
